Lily plant named ‘Mount Duckling’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant named ‘Mount Duckling’ characterized by its medium to large plant size; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; light red purple-colored tepals that are slightly recurved; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Lilium hybrida cultivarMount Duckling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of AsiaticHybrid Lily plant, botanically known as Lilium hybrida, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Mount Duckling’.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in 't Zand, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program was to develop new potted Asiatic Hybrid Lilyplants with erect flowers, attractive flower coloration and goodpostproduction longevity.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily originated from a cross-pollination in 1995of an unnamed proprietary Asiatic Hybrid Lily, not patented, as thefemale, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary Asiatic Hybrid Lily,not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar MountDuckling was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the resultant progeny of the cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands in May, 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily by bulb scales in acontrolled environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands since November, 1998,has shown that the unique features of this new Asiatic Hybrid Lily arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Mount Duckling’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Mount Duckling’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Mount Duckling’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Asiatic Hybrid Lily:

-   -   1. Medium to large plant size; vigorous growth habit.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. Light red purple-colored tepals that are slightly recurved.    -   4. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ from plants of the parentselections primarily in tepal coloration as plants of the parentselections have lighter pink-colored tepals.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of theAsiatic Hybrid Lily cultivar Cote d'Azur, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in 't Zand, The Netherlands, plants of the newAsiatic Hybrid Lily differed from plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur, inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily were more compact than        plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily were more freely        flowering and flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Cote        d'Azur.    -   3. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had larger flowers than        plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur.    -   4. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had lighter colored        flowers than plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily, showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Mount Duckling’ grownin a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe twomonth-old plants grown in 't Zand, The Netherlands under commercialpractice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were grown at a minimumtemperature of about 15° C. and the average daylength was about 15hours. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typicalflowering plants. The photograph and the description were taken duringthe summer.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida cultivar Mount Duckling.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Lilium hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Lilium hybrida, not patented.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single            erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers.            Medium to large plant size. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 50 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 15 cm.        -   Flowering stems.—Internode length: About 5 to 15 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137B.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile. Quantity of            leaves per plant: About 35. Length, lower leaves: About            7.2 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 7 mm. Length, upper            leaves: About 8 cm. Width, upper leaves: About 1.5 cm.            Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; leathery.            Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: 141A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and            lower surfaces: Similar to lamina.        -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 14 to 16 cm. Texture: Smooth. Color:            Close to 155D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—Terminal single flowers arranged on a            raceme on long, mostly erect and strong flowering stems.            Flowers slightly fragant; tepals not persistent; gynoecium            persistent. Flowers face mostly upright.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June in The            Netherlands. Plants can be flowered year-round in the            greenhouse and forced to bloom about 60 to 65 days after            planting bulbs.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 10 to 14 days.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.8 cm.            Circumference: About 5.2 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 63C; midribs, 63B; towards the            base, close to 155D.        -   Flowers.—Quantity of flowers per flowering stem: Freely            flowering; about eight to ten. Shape: Funnel-shaped. When            fully opened, flowers flatten and reflex slightly. Diameter:            About 14 cm. Depth (height): About 4 cm.        -   Perianth.—Quantity/arrangement: Six tepals per flower;            imbricate. Tepal length, inner tepals: About 7.5 cm. Tepal            length, outer tepals: About 7 cm. Tepal width, inner tepals:            About 3.8 cm. Tepal width, outer tepals: About 2.7 cm. Tepal            shape: Lanceolate. Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal margin: Entire.            Tepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            leathery. Tepal color: When opening and fully opened, upper            surface: 63C; towards the base, close to 155D, with spots,            187A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 63C.        -   Pedicels.—Angle: About 55 to 65° from vertical. Strength:            Strong. Length: About 6 to 8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.            Filament length: About 5 cm. Filament color: Towards the            apex, 63C; towards the base, 155B. Anther length: About            2.1 cm. Anther color: 166B. Pollen color: 26B. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About 3.5 cm. Style            color: 63C. Stigma color: 60D.        -   Fruits/seeds.—Fruit and seed development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Some resistance to Botrytis and Pythium has    been observed on plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily. Resistance    to pest and other pathogens common to Asiatic Hybrid Lilies has not    been determined.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Mount Duckling’, asillustrated and described.